SeaTrek BVI: What's It All About?
One of GLS's own takes on the BVI
Published: Tuesday, September 6, 2022 12:00 pm
By: Ella Kyle
A version of this article appeared in the Fall (September/October) 2022 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.
Who Am I?
My name is Ella Kyle, I'm 15 years old, and I love the ocean. Growing up, I loved everything about water and how you could feel like you were flying in the water. I live in Ohio, where there isn't much water, so whenever I get the chance to swim, I take it. When I was asked to go to SeaTrek BVI, I immediately said yes. I felt so lucky to be given such an amazing opportunity to do something I loved. This year was my second time going, and I loved it even more than my first year. I loved everything from laying on the hard deck to going on amazing dives.
What Is SeaTrek All About?
SeaTrek is all about safety, fun, and diving. Safety is their number one priority, and they take every precaution necessary. SeaTrek also makes sure everything is fun. No matter what we do, we are constantly having a good time. If we have free time, we still get to do things like tubing, wake surfing, paddleboarding, and kayaking. Diving is the biggest thing that we do at SeaTrek, and it is the most fun part, in my opinion. During the first week, we had a lot of training to get our certifications; there are four certifications you can get, which are open water diver, advanced open water diver, rescue diver, and master diver. This year I got my rescue diver certification, which took up most of the first week. The second week is training dives for advanced divers but fun dives for everyone else. There are so many dive sites that we visit and get to see, most likely more than you could ever see if you went on a regular vacation.
What Was My Experience?
When I first arrived, I met everyone on my boat. It wasn't awkward at all; we all clicked as a group. The first day was one of the best because you got to hang out with everyone on your boat and dive! I loved the first dive because it felt like I was going into a whole new world. After that, we had our first day of training for our certifications. The rest of the week was mostly just certification dives, but we also had plenty of hikes and free time.
The first half of the second week was mostly just training dives for the rescue divers. Then the last part of the second week, we did lots of fun dives and amazing hikes. Rescue divers also have a scenario that we have to pass, in which you have to save a diver when their buddy yells for help at the surface. When their buddy surfaces and starts yelling, everyone in your rescue group has an assigned job in which they will either be a snorkeler, diver, watcher, or reporter. My group passed on the first try, but if you don't pass on the first try, you can have as many attempts as you need. Once the second week came to an end, the people who were only there for two weeks left.
The third week was all about fun dives and hikes. We had so many amazing dives in the third week. The hikes were fun and had beautiful views. During the first half of the third week, we focused on dives and getting in all of the gorgeous dives that we could. We went on dives that most people don't even know about unless you are a local. In the second half of the third week, we had a lot of hikes and free time. SeaTrek also takes us to Harris' Place, where an amazing lady named Cynthia made dinner for all the boats. The food was amazing, and I would recommend them any day.
Questions?
During my first year, I had so many questions about what I needed to pack, where will we dive, and if I was going to get along with the people on my boat.
The first question is easy. Packing light is very important, for girls I would recommend bringing seven swimsuits, five or six t-shirts, and a couple outfits for port to look nice. Guys should bring at least four swim trunks, five t-shirts, and a pair of nice shorts. It is really easy to overpack going on this trip, especially if it is your first time. Take my advice and pack as light as possible because you will be in a swimsuit most of the time. The boats also do not have that much storage space so you won't want to fill every inch of your room with clothes.
The second question; where will we dive? We dove almost 20 different dives. The dives could range from night dives, wreck dives, or even deep water dives. One of the most memorable dives that I went on this year we called The Planes. This dive site was right off of an artificial coral reef which was beautiful. The Planes are three airplanes made to look like sharks sunk underwater about 40 feet down. This wreck is located off of Dog Island and had the most wildlife I saw this year. I saw a spotted moray eel, a spotted eagle ray, and so many little fish.
The last question; am I going to get along with the people on my boat? The answer to this question is simple; yes. There are twelve other kids living on the boat with you, all the same age. If you are shy, don't even worry about it because there is so much time for you to get to know the other campers and open up. My boat was amazing, and we all got along so well; I still talk to almost all of them.
If you have any more questions, go to www.seatrekbvi.com, and I'm sure your question can be answered there. I hope you consider going on this once-in-a-lifetime trip and fall in love with it as I did.
tags: Beyond the Lakes, Diving, Travel
